COP26

Climate Change

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to mobilise public and private climate finance ahead of COP26.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK Presidency is pushing developed countries to significantly increase their financial commitments for mitigation, adaptation and nature for developing countries and to align global financial flows with the Paris Agreement. This includes setting out a $100 billion delivery plan to be taken forward by Canada and Germany to demonstrate how developed countries are mobilising $100 billion a year.Public finance will work in tandem with private finance and be used to mobilise far greater sums of private finance. The UK Presidency is working with other donors and multilateral development banks in collaboration with governments, to promote and support a range of targeted initiatives that tackle barriers to and promote investment into developing countries; such as supporting new market structures, improving policy environments, de-risking investments and creating incentives for deal flow. In April 2021 we founded GFANZ, the Glasgow Finance Alliance for Net Zero which accelerates the implementation of net zero commitments and mobilises capital to climate solutions. There are currently over 250 member firms from over 30 countries, representing assets of more than US$88 trillion.

UN Climate Conference 2021

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to prepare for COP26 in November.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: COP26 is an event of global importance where the world must work together to secure a comprehensive and ambitious set of outcomes that accelerate climate action and get the world on track to a 1.5 degree pathway. This includes finalising the Paris Rulebook, supporting the full implementation of the Paris Agreement and addressing the gaps on ambition in reducing emissions this decade, mobilising finance, and adapting to our changing world.COP26 logistical preparations are well established and we have a robust governance structure, involving close cooperation between Scottish, wider UK and international partners to ensure we host a safe and secure event that meets our objectives. Our preparations include a thorough risk assessment and mitigation plan along with a robust testing and exercise programme.In terms of COVID, the COP26 unit has been working closely with public health officials, the Scottish Government, the WHO, the UNFCCC and all our partners to create a comprehensive set of COVID mitigations to ensure preparedness for the conference - the safety of participants and the local population is at the heart of all our planning. This includes a specific test, trace and protect regime, social distancing, enhanced ventilation, face coverings and vaccinations.

Department for Education

Local Skills Improvement Plans

Baroness Morris of Yardley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they had prior to the announcement of the Skills Accelerator: Local Skills Improvement Plan Trailblazers and Strategic Development Fund pilot areas with (1) the mayor of Teeside, (2) the mayors from other trailblazer areas, and (3) council leaders from trailblazer areas.

Baroness Barran: The Skills Accelerator programme was launched on 20 April 2021 with a prospectus inviting expressions of interest from employer representative bodies to lead a Local Skills Improvement Plan Trailblazer. The successful Local Skills Improvement Plan Trailblazers were subsequently announced on 15 July 2021.During this time period, there were no discussions regarding the Skills Accelerator programme or Local Skills Improvement Plans between the former Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend for South Staffordshire; the former Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills, my hon. Friend for Chichester; Special Advisors; or officials with mayors or council leaders in any of the areas which were subsequently announced as Trailblazers. Over the same time period, the former Secretary of State for Education met the Mayor of Tees Valley on 20 May 2021. This was a political meeting in his capacity as a Member of Parliament for South Staffordshire, not on departmental business.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Waste Management

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to assist local authority waste and recycling departments withdriver shortages.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We are aware of some current impacts driver shortages are having on local authorities. We continue to work with the Department for Transport and the other departments to resolve this. The Government recently announced a significant package of measures, including plans to streamline the process for new drivers to gain their HGV licence, and increased capacity for HGV driving tests. As driver shortages across Europe demonstrate, this is a widespread problem caused by a range of factors, including an ageing workforce. We are moving to a high wage, high skilled economy and the government is encouraging all sectors to adapt and make employment more attractive to UK domestic workers through offering training, careers options and wage increases. The waste sector is already making good strides in this, highlighting that many rounds can be conducted close to home with defined hours, promoting a healthy work/life balance. More information about the measures we are taking to tackle the haulier shortage is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/more-support-to-help-people-to-become-hgv-drivers-among-package-of-government-measures-to-ease-risk-of-shortages More support to help people to become HGV drivers (pdf, 151.0KB)

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit

Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether theywill publish the impact assessment for removing the £20 uplift to Universal Credit.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: No impact assessment has been made.The Chancellor announced a temporary six-month extension to the £20 per week uplift at the Budget on 3 March to support households affected by the economic shock of Covid-19. Universal Credit has provided a vital safety net for six million people during the pandemic, and the temporary uplift was part of a COVID support package worth a total of £407billion in 2020-21 and 2021-22.There have been significant positive developments in the public health situation since the uplift was first introduced. With the success of the vaccine rollout and record job vacancies, it is right that our focus is on helping people back into work.Through our Plan for Jobs, we are targeting tailored support schemes of people of all ages to help them prepare for, get into and progress in work. These include: Kickstart, delivering tens of thousands of six-month work placements for Universal Credit claimants aged 16-24 at risk of unemployment; we have also recruited an additional 13,500 work coaches to provide more intensive support to find a job; and introduced Restart which provides 12 months’ intensive employment support to Universal Credit claimants who are unemployed for a year. Our Plan for Jobs interventions will support more than two million people.

Refugees: Afghanistan

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to help recently arrived Afghan refugees find employment.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: Those coming from Afghanistan to the UK on the resettlement programmes will have the right to work here from day one, as well as immediate access to the benefit system and our existing employment offer, including our £30 billion Plan for Jobs. Direct, personalised support is available from experienced work coaches in the temporary hotel accommodation where Afghans are staying across the country. Work coaches are there to help with any claims or queries and to provide tailored employment support. Resettling Afghans will also have access to our Refugee Leads Network, which links Jobcentres and organisations working with refugees and those on resettlement programmes, to help them integrate and find employment in local areas. We will also work to ensure that English as a Second or Other Language provision, and other support, is available to those that need it.

Department for International Trade

Trade Agreements: Conditions of Employment

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that the rights of workers are protected in future trade deals.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: The UK is committed to ensuring that the rights of workers are upheld in trade deals. HM government has made clear that trade does not have to come at the expense of labour standards, and this is reflected in our UK trade policy. In its public mandates, the Government committed to protect the UK’s world-leading labour standards.

UK Trade with EU

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of trends in the level of UK trade with the EU since January 2020.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: UK goods trade (excluding precious metals) with the EU was £368.9bn in 2020, down 15.8% compared to 2019, mainly due to decreases in April 2020 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.UK trade in goods with the EU suffered a further decrease in January 2021, down 36.0% for the month (compared to December 2020).Since January 2021, monthly goods trade has increased, with monthly exports now almost at pre-covid levels (July 2021 was 5.6% below 2019 monthly average), and imports growing but still below pre-covid levels (July 2021 was 14.6% below 2019 monthly average).UK trade in services with the EU have shown little recovery since falling in April 2020. Services trade with the EU was £160.2bn in the 12 months to end of June 2021 down 22.3% on the previous 12 months.